Safe, affordable homes focus of NWA Home Show

Residents looking for all the wares to create a home from scratch or improve the one they have can find many options at the Northwest Arkansas Home Show in Springdale this weekend.

The home show kicked off today (Feb. 15) with the help of Bentonville Mayor Bob McCaslin, the Springdale Chamber of Commerce and the Northwest Arkansas Home Builders Association. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday) February 15, 16 and 17 at the Springdale Convention Center. Tickets are $10 each for a three day pass; $7 for a two day pass and $5 for a single day pass.

“This is a service to the community to display products, trends and reveal energy-saving techniques,” said Jack Hales, president of the NWA Home Builders Association. “It has a vital economic impact on the community, state and country.”

Hales sums up the Home Builders Association as an organization that just wants residents to have safe and affordable homes.

It has had such an impact on the community that Patrick Curry, who represented the gold sponsor Waco Title, described it this way: “In Washington they’ve been talking about ways to improve the community. … And while they were talking, you’ve been doing it.”

The NWA Home Show is a way to get local housing to a secure level at a reasonable cost.

“There’s something unique one every aisle,” said Erin Main, chair of the NWA Home Show. “Every year I come home to my husband with new ideas (for our place), and he says ‘You do this every year!’”

Main expects about 4,000 guests to attend the show, which is showcasing 120 vendors and several workshops to show patrons how to do it themselves.

“The NWA Home Show is open to any home vendor that helps improve, restore homes or sells home products in general,” Main said. “Next year, we’ll have (our first) mattress vendor join us.”

A popular item this year is storm shelters, which Main attributes to the Joplin disaster which is in our not-so-distant past. Nearly every aisle of the convention center features a storm shelter vendor.

Sure Safe Shelters representative Shannon Boyett explained the value of the popular item.

“It just gives you a great peace of mind when a storm comes in, you know you won’t be sitting in the (bath)tub.” Instead, the secure space provides room for a good sized family of six or eight people.

One thing many guests of the home show look forward to are the giveaways. Many vendors offer a 10-15% discount for scheduling services in advance from the show, while others have games to give away products.

Mister Sparky, an electrician services company, set up a wheel of fortune for visitors to win Razorback tickets, surge protectors, dimmers and more.

Link here for more information about DIY workshops and other home show events.